High Cheese

The Phillies formally announced the acquisiton of outfielder John Bowker from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations.

Bowker will be selected to the major league roster and is expected to be in uniform for tonight’s game in Cincinnati against the Reds.

The trade was first reported by CSNphilly.com last night.

Bowker, 28, has spent the majority of the 2011 season with Triple-A Indianapolis, where he batted .306 with 27 doubles, 15 home runs and 76 RBI in 106 games. Among International League batters, he ranked seventh in hits (129), eighth in batting average and tied for eighth in RBI.

A left-handed batter, Bowker hit .336 against right-handed pitching for Indianapolis with 12 of his 15 home runs.

In 19 major league games for the Pirates this year (all in April), he hit .235 (4-17) with a double and two RBI. Sixteen of his 17 at-bats came as a pinch-hitter.

As a pinch-hitter in the major leagues, Bowker has a .301 (22-73) career average with four doubles, two triples, one home run and 12 RBI.

Originally selected by the San Francisco Giants in the third round of the 2004 draft out of Long Beach State University, Bowker is a career .237 hitter at the major league level with 25 doubles, five triples, 17 home runs and 73 RBI in 228 games for the Giants (2008-10) and Pirates (2010-11). He has played 73 games at first base, 36 in right field and 25 in left field.

To make room for Bowker on the 25-man roster, the Phillies optioned right-hander Michael Schwimer to triple-A Lehigh Valley following last night’s game and to make room on the 40-man roster, the club transferred right-hander Jose Contreras to the 60-day disabled list.

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